Tales of a Jashinist
by kaosninja
Summary: Sakura is a young worshiper of Jashin, a blood-soaked God that expects destruction and death. When her temple is destroyed and she, the only survivor, is taken to Konoha, how will she cope? Moreover, how will Konoha treat this young girl that has a thirst for blood? Will it reject her, or accept her, in spite of her widely-despised religion? T for violence.
1. Ritual

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto, but I don't, unfortunately...**

**Warning: Death, Murder, blood, sadistic, Torture, and a whole bunch of twisted stuff like that. After all, it's a story about _jashinism. _Please don't read if you don't like that sort of stuff.**

Sakura POV

Ever since I can remember, I've lived in this temple. This temple that reeks of death and resonates with the haunting chants of monks that worship our beloved Jashin-sama. It is familiar and comforting, yet chilling and exhilarating. Monks tell me that I was delivered to them by Jashin-sama himself, and so they have taught me his ways. My name is Sakura, and I am almost a priestess of Jashin-sama.

xXx

I stared down at the bound girl that lay before me. She couldn't have been any older than my 10 years, but there was a huge difference between us. Low muttering of monks that circled us filled my ears, and candle light flickered sporadically. My heart thudded rapidly in my chest, and I exhaled a slow breath in anticipation, nerves almost unbearable. This was my first ritual. If I was able to complete this particular ritual, which only a few chosen of Jashin-sama could do, I would become a true immortal Jashin priestess, or Jashinist. I was very young to be undergoing the ritual, monks told me. But due to the spiraling numbers of priests and priestesses in the world, I guess I started early. For, Jashinism, though it pained me to admit, was a dwindling religion, that needed all the members it could get. There were many monks, but not nearly enough priests and priestesses. What was the difference? Monks stayed in temples. Though they also did rituals and worshiped Jashin-sama, they were not- or rather, could not become- immortal, and were non-combat worshipers. But priests and priestesses were immortal, and could perform jutsu given to them by Jashin-sama. The jutsu each priest or priestess knew pertaining to Jashinism, though possibly similar, were _never _the same. The reason there were so few of them, was because barely _ever _were people chosen by Jashin-sama to become a priest or priestess. Every monk had tried this ritual, in the hopes of becoming a priest or priestess, but after coming out unsuccessful, had instead become monks. Girls that failed the ritual were sacrificed to Jashin-sama. Clutching my scythe- the preferred but not compulsory weapon for a Jashinist, I began my prayer to Jashin-sama, my eyes never leaving those of the terrified girl in front of me.

"Beloved but anguished God of our faith  
Let us pray to you once again  
Let us be filled with your knowledge  
And your infinite path of destruction  
Let us abuse your power once again  
To create the mayhem you so deserve  
Let us create the destruction you want  
Forgive us for using this power again  
For they may be our last time  
In the evil God's name, Jashin, amen!" It was a common prayer, though good, and I loved it. This was why I had chosen this prayer for my first ritual. Now, If Jashin-sama accepted me to be a priestess, my individual ritual and jutsu would be revealed to me by him. Feeling a rush of dark power flow through me at the utter of my last syllable, my lips moved, of their own accord, and my voice rang out, louder than the monks. "Curse technique: Forsaken pendant." Taking my scythe unthinkingly, I bent down and sliced the girl's leg. Then, I took my pendant, the symbol of Jashinism, which I had had ever since I could remember, and let it touch the blood that welled up from her wound, even as she sobbed and struggled against her binds and gag. In fascination, still not in control of my own body, I watched as my pendant _absorbed _the blood, and noticed with a shock my skin changing colour. White as bone and black as death. Patterns resembling a skeleton, the symbol of absolute death. Jashin-sama had accepted me to be a priestess! The joy I felt almost knocked me over, but instead, my body continued to move robotically. Taking my scythe, I plunged it into my stomach. It...it hurt. But, more than that, it felt _amazing!  
_

Pleasure so powerful rocked my body, originating from that wound, and my eyes rolled back into my head. I heard the young girl in front of me scream in pain against her gag, but there were no marks on her. Raising my scythe eagerly now, I swung it fast, higher than my previous wound...Right through my heart. Groaning aloud in the absolute pleasure and wonder I felt from it, I heard the girl scream louder, but still the first shallow cut I had inflicted on her remained her only injury. Instinctively, somehow, I just _knew. _She could feel the pain of any injuries I inflicted on myself, was tortured by that pain, but she didn't have those injuries, so they didn't actually harm her body and kill her. _Yet_. In order to _truly _give her the same injuries as me...

Fingering my pendant, I lifted it to my mouth and licked it. It tasted of blood. Her blood. Watching in sick fascination as blood suddenly bloomed across her stomach and heart from wide, jagged gashes, her screams turned into wet gargles then suddenly, silence. She was dead. I had just completed my first ritual. I was a priestess. So _that _was the individual ritual gifted to me by Jashin-sama. Feeling euphoric, I beamed at the circle of monks that surrounded us, muttering lowly and in-sync, and was surprised by the sudden wave of exhaustion that drove me to the ground and forced me unconscious.

xXx

I woke in my small room, and immediately noticed the figure sitting, back ramrod straight, beside my bed. It was one of the older monks that had been there a significant portion of my life, Satoshi-san. His name meant clear-thinking or wise, and it was well-suited to him, or so I thought.

"Satoshi-san?" My question hung unasked in the air, and he looked at me.

"Sakura, you have done it." My mind was blank for a moment before the events from my ritual caught up with me, and warmth bloomed inside my chest. I, of all people, had been accepted by Jashin-sama. _Me! _Giddy with relief, I beamed at him. "How did you find it?" His level voice asked. I knew what he really meant; like all monks, Satoshi-san had done the ritual, but been unsuccessful, and so had not been accepted by Jashin-sama to be a priest. So to be chosen by Jashin-sama...

"Satoshi-san, it was...amazing. My body, it just, knew what to do, like I was being shown what my jutsu is. I _was _being shown, by Jahin-sama himself! And when I wounded myself, the pain, it instantly changed to the most wonderful thing in the whole world, and I can't believe it..." Normally, I wouldn't have shown so much emotion in front of a monk, but this was a rare exception. He gave me a very rare smile, and gestured to the end of my bed, where clothes waited for me. They consisted of a dark red, kimono style top, and loose black pants. The top was held in with a black sash at my waist. To complete the outfit was a black, hooded cloak. Because I was a priestess now, and expected to engage in combat, my clothes were different to the normal robes I was used to. Getting dressed quickly while Satoshi-san waited outside, I fixed my scythe on my back, making sure I was able to access it easily, pulled my pink hair into a side ponytail, then opened my door and followed Satoshi-san.

I felt different in my new clothes, more confident, and I held my head down as we walked silently to a large hall. Most of the monks from the temple were there to congratulate me, and I smiled politely, yet sincerely at them as they did. As I talked to a friend, Jun, who had been at the temple as long as I had, and was my age, I froze. Warning bells went off rapidly in the back of my head and I barely had time to scream a warning to the others before the ceiling exploded and enemies- they must have been enemies, to defile Jashin-sama's temple like that- flooded into the hall. Screams echoed around me and I watched as the monks, people I had known my whole life and grown up with, were cut down. _At least they'll get to be with Jashin-sama. _A small voice in the back of my head said. I dodged a kunai thrown towards me, and barely registered the presence behind me before I felt something cold enter my back.  
"These are the bastards that have been killing our people! So we'll kill them all instead!" It was an unfamiliar voice, and as I heard the replying battle-cries, I knew there were too many opponents for me to fight. So, as much as it pained me to do so, I slid to the ground and lay still. Feigning death, though hard at the moment, was necessary; it would allow me to serve Jashin-sama later. So I lay, and waited...

xXx

"I think I found a survivor! Over here!"

"A survivor in all of this? Really?" I blinked my eyes open and saw...foreign people. Unknown people. Invading the house of Jashin-sama. One stood over me and, panicked and crowded, I screamed, scrambling away from him and jumping to my feet. Remembering how these people- it must have been these people, for no one else was around- had killed everyone here, and disrupted the worship of Jashin-sama, I started.

"You...you people killed the loyal worshipers of Jashin-sama and defiled his sacred home! How _dare you!" _Rage overtook me, so strong I bean to shake, and I yanked my scythe off of my back, intent to send these heathens to Jashin-sama in a rather gruesome, satisfying way. A logical part in the back of my mind told me that I was no match for these people, but I ignored it; I was so _angry _that they did this. What right did they have? Running at the closest man, a masked person with grey hair, my eyes widened when he disappeared, then reappeared to my right, grabbing my wrists with one hand, in such a way that my scythe didn't touch him, and using his other hand to force me to look at his face into his eyes. A strange red iris with unusual, spinning black shapes in it stared at me and I felt myself grow weak, then collapse to the floor. "Jashin...sama..."

**Guys, remember. Sakura has been raised with this violence since she was little. It's common to her. I hope ya'll liked it! So, this is an idea that's been playing on my mind for AGES now, and now that I'm finally back on FF, I've decided to write it! Just letting you all know, updates on this story probably won't be as frequent as updates on my other stories, but I'll still do my best! Also, I haven't read any other stories like this, so I hope I'm not unintentionally copying anyone's stories! Please leave a review to say what you thought of it! Was it too fast-paced? I thought it might have been...Also, please feel free to leave some ideas! If realistic, I'll try to incorporate them into the story, especially since I have a pretty loose idea myself on where this story is headed. Until next time~  
**


	2. Unfamiliar surroundings

**Disclaimer: Working on it, but I still don't own Naruto...**

**Warning: Sadistic thoughts? Restraints?  
**

Sakura POV

A constant, annoying beeping. Bright light behind my closed eyes. Hushed whispering. The sharp scent of chemicals. I registered all of these things as I lay in a bed that felt _very _unfamiliar and different from my bed at the temple. Temple...attack! Eyes snapping open, I shot out of the bed, or rather, tried to. I was in a strange, white room filled with unfamiliar equipment. Straining, I realized my wrists were bound to the bed. _What? Where was I?_ Hissing, I pulled at the restraints, but to no avail, not even when I channeled chakra into them. Where was my scythe? Why was I here? Someone cleared their throat, and my head spun in their direction. It was a familiar looking man with grey hair..._he'd been at the temple! He was one of the ones who destroyed it! _Growling, I spat at the heathen. "Who are you? Where am I? Let me go! Give me my scythe!" I fought some more against the restraints, but there was no way I was getting out of them, so I flopped back onto the bed and glared murderously at the man, annoyed at being unable to release my rage.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. You are in Konohagakure. Now I'm afraid we can't just 'let you go'. You _might_ get your scythe if you cooperate. May I ask you how exactly you're alive? With the wounds you sustained, you should be dead. We found you in a temple of Jashin. It looked like there had been an attack." He talked in a weird, lazy drawl, and had a relaxed posture, that didn't full me for a second.

Konohagakure? Wasn't that a great shinobi village? How did I wind up so far away from home? And what did he mean; was he not the one who attacked the temple? Pondering this, I remembered something the first attackers said; we were the ones that killed their family and friends. Which was true, and I had no qualms with that. To be honest, we were doing those heathens an honor, letting them get sacrificed to the great Jashin-sama like that. However, we rarely took our sacrifices from too far away. And certainly _not_ as far as Konoha. If this man was telling the truth, and this was really Konoha, then maybe he _didn't _attack the temple. Eying the man warily, I realized I couldn't feel the pain from where I had been stabbed in the back? Flexing my back muscles, I still couldn't feel it, just the slightest hint of an ache. Could it be that it had healed already? How long had I been out? There was no doubt that my immortality played a factor in just how fast I had healed. Wow...I debated on whether or not to reply. I was in trouble. That much was for sure, but Jashin-sama would help me. For sure. Deciding to be honest, as I assumed he had been, I opened my mouth to reply.

"I'm a Jashinist. Jashin-sama granted me with the gift of immortality, in exchange for service." Still tense, I waited for his next question. Maybe they would actually let me go if I cooperated? My wrists were being rubbed raw by the restraints, but I never broke eye contact with the man. In the following silence, my breathing seemed to fill the room, and I made a conscious effort to quiet it. Finally, after exchanging many looks with the other people in the room- most of whom looked skeptical and ready to burst out laughing, Hatake-san, one of the only people who looked like he was taking my statement seriously, spoke.

"Oh? And what does this service include?" Smiling coyly now, I answered in a clear, almost sing-song voice.

"Death."

Kakashi POV

As the young, pink-haired girl answered, I raised my visible eyebrow, keeping my face loose and uncaring. My head, however, was trying to recall all bits of information I could remember about Jashinism, which wasn't a lot, considering how rare it was. A feared cult, that delighted in destruction and torment. It's members sacrificed both innocent and tainted people alike to their evil 'God' Jashin. I didn't believe in God. But this girl obviously did. Thinking about someone so young being raised in such a cult, I had to hold down the shudder. And apparently, it was so deeply ingrained in her, that she freely admit her _lifestyle _was based around murder. Sure, this was average for a shinobi, but Jashinism was something else entirely...

xXx

Thinking quickly, I wondered if the girl was too lost in what she had grown up in, or could she be saved? She was still young, perhaps she could start afresh? The thought of such a young life being left in darkness saddened me, as I remembered my former teammates, who had had their lives cut short. Far too short. Maybe I could talk to the hokage, see if she could somehow become ingrained into our village...? Realizing I couldn't let the silence drag out too long, I gave her a lazy stare. "Maa, death. That's rather dark for someone so young, no?" She startled me with a short laugh.

"Really? And how old were you when _you _first killed someone?" She had a point.

Deciding to try a more personal approach, I asked, "And what's your name?"

"Sakura."

"Sakura...?"

"Just Sakura." So she didn't belong to a clan. Or, if she did, she wouldn't even know, being raised by Jashinists all her life. As I pondered what to do, I thanked the girl for her time and flickered away, knowing that the anbu Tori was still there to watch her. I would need to talk to the hokage about this girl.

xXx

"Come in, Kakashi." The wizened voice was still strong, and I entered the room with my hands buried in my pockets. He smiled warmly at me, and I returned it, my visible eye crinkling upwards in response. "Hokage-sama. I need to talk to you about the girl we discovered in the Jashinist temple." He raised his eyebrows at me as if to say 'continue'. "Her name is Sakura. She is a Jashinist, and claims to be immortal, in exchange for serving her god Jashin via killing. I believe she was raised in this cult, however, she is only around ten years of age..." My mask broke slightly at the end, and I knew the hokage could sense what I desired.

"So you want me to take her as a child of Konoha and hope she changes?" After my short nod, he continued. "Kakashi, this won't be easy. Especially if she comes from such a bloodthirsty place. I will have to make certain special...arrangements with her. However...I will see what I can do. Try my best to give her a taste of normality."

Breathing out slowly in relief at that, I nodded. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." He smiled in reply.

Sakura POV

The man, Hatake-san, had been gone for awhile now. During that time, a nurse had come in to bring food, and even fed me because of my restraints. I'd been suspicious at first, but after she had taken a couple of bites herself, I relaxed. Besides, not like it would kill me anyway, if it _was _poisoned. What a new, exciting concept. Immortality. Filled with so many possibilities, so many things I could achieve, and so much service I could give to my beloved Jashin-sama.

I knew I wasn't alone, however; though he had concealed his chakra, there was another man watching me. He wore an odd white mask that resembled a bird, and he'd been present when Hatake-san had first been there. Sighing, I flexed my arms. I was itching to get out of here, to stretch my muscles, to sacrifice people, to _fight. _Clicking my tongue, I looked up as the door to the room opened. In walked Hatake-san, followed by an old man in robes. He seemed deceptively harmless, but there was a certain air about him, a suppressed power to the man. Schooling my face into a blank expression, I watched them. Hatake-san still had that relaxed manner about him. "Sakura." He greeted.

"Hatake-san." I returned. What was going to happen?

"I'd like you to meet our hokage. Hokage, this is Sakura-san." Unsure of what I was supposed to do, I nodded to the man. Hokage, huh? That explained the vibe I'd gotten from him. _Play it nice. Cooperate. Then you might be able to get out._

"Well, Sakura. Your temple was destroyed. You have nowhere to go. So, I have a proposition for you; join our village. Become a kunoichi of Konohagakure. You would start off at the academy, and then graduate with other students your age." Whatever I had been expecting, this was _so not _it. Eyes widening, I looked at him in disbelief. Was he serious? He wanted me to join his _village?_ All attempts at greasing flew out the window as I laughed.

"That's impossible. I wouldn't be able to properly serve Jashin-sama if I was busy playing nice here."

"Which is why, while you are attending the academy, I would be willing to offer you...let's call it a _job_, at the Torture and Interrogation center. You would assist in torture, and, if necessary, execution. You would receive money for this, from which you would be able to pay for rent, at an apartment, for food, and other necessities. Of course, you would have this job under the condition that you abide by Konoha's laws. So no killing any citizens of Konoha. Additionally, you would be allowed to tell no one of this job until you graduate from the academy, in which case you would be able to tell your team and sensei. The job would stand as long as you wish, though, once you graduate, your kunoichi duties would become priority." Blinking at all of this information, I thought about it. That actually...wasn't bad. He was right; I didn't have a place I could go to, unless I wanted to find one of the other few temples, but maybe I could grow stronger here in this village, and then, when I was strong enough, leave. And they were even offering me such a job..._why? _Searching for any hidden motives, I could find none. That didn't, however, mean they weren't there.

"So you'd be willing to trust me, a Jashinist, simply run free in your village?" Yeah, right. Surely they'd be more likely braid my hair and hold hands, singing songs with me about love.

"No. You would be watched until deemed safe to be on your own."

"And...if I refuse?"

"You will be held in custody until further notice, after which it is unsure as to what would happen to you." Gee, that was reassuring. But another thought struck me.

"And what about my scythe?" Luckily, my pendant was still around my neck, which was the most important thing, but my scythe was my second most important thing! I needed it!

"It will be returned to you if, and only if you choose to comply with our conditions and join Konoha." Closing my green eyes, I sent a silent prayer to Jashin-sama. What should I do? A whisper of darkness touched my mind, a sort sense of confirmation, and my eyes opened in excitement. Jashin-sama was speaking to me! _Me! _Knowing now that I needed to stay, I met the hokage's eyes squarely.

"I accept."

xXx

With that established, the hokage smiled at me. They took off my restraints, and he motioned to Hatake-san. "He will take you to your apartment, and help you...settle in." Then, we split off, the hokage heading somewhere else. Before we exited the hospital (at least, that's what I thought it was, but I'd never been in one before), he popped into another room, then came out with my scythe. Sighing in relief as he handed it to me, I fixed it onto my back, smiling at the familiar weiight. As we walked through the village, I couldn't help but stare around wide-eyed. There were so many _people! _I'd never been in such a big, busy place before, although, on occasion, I had ventured into some of the smaller villages around the temple with some of the monks. They were _nothing _in comparison to this though. Chuckling at me, Hatake-san motioned for me to follow him. We were walking through...a market? He would stop occasionally and barter with some shop owner, then grab some of the food. As I walked behind him, it occurred to me that people were barely sparing second glances at my scythe. Wow, it truly was a shinobi village. Finally, he stopped outside of an apartment building. Leading me up the stairs, he took a key out of his back pocket and opened the door, then gestured for me to enter. Cautiously, I looked around the place. It was small, but I didn't need any bigger. Besides, it was nice enough. A lot better than what I had been expecting anyway.

"Well, here's some food to get you started off. I'll let you settle in for a bit, then stop by in an hour. Later." He handed me the bags and flickered away. Shrugging, I explored the place, and placed the food on the kitchen bench, and put it all away. Finding the bathroom, I immediately ran the bath, then stripped and washed the dirt off of myself. As I eased myself into the boiling bath, I groaned in relief. It felt good to be clean again, and the hot water did wonders. When I had finished, I got out. Unfortunately, I would have to get dressed back into my dirty clothes, but I could buy some more later. Before I did, however,I looked in the mirror. Twisting so I could see my back, I marveled at the fact that there was only a scar left from where I had been stabbed. It was jagged and still new, but the fact that it had already healed...getting dressed, I toweled my hair, and fixed it into a side ponytail. Wandering my bare house, I realized that I would have to do a lot of shopping, but in order to go shopping, I needed to pay a visit to the T&amp;I...smirking, I waited for Hatake-san to arrive.

xXx

As I was waiting, I heard a knock on my door. It couldn't have been an hour already, why had he come early? Grabbing my scythe, I opened the door cautiously. There was...blond and orange. Huh? Staring at a boy who looked around my age, I blinked. "May I help you?"

"Yeah! The name's Uzumaki Naruto! I'm your neighbor, and I just wanted to say hi! Wanna get some ramen tonight? My treat, as a welcoming gift!" Unsure of what to say when bombarded with this ball of energy, I thought for a moment. I needed to stock everything for the apartment, I needed to go to my _job, _but surely it would be good to get allies? Anyway, the boy kind of reminded me of Jun, a boy from back at the temple.

"I'm Sakura. It's nice to meet you Naruto. Uh, yes, ramen sounds nice. I've...never had it before." That was the truth. We didn't eat that at the temple. His face positively lit up, like he hadn't been expecting me to accept at all, and I raised an eyebrow. Then, his expression changed to one of disbelief.

"Never had _ramen? How?_ Well, that'll change, I'll take you to the best ramen stand in the world! I'll stop by later, Sakura-chan! Believe it!" With a wave, he ran off, and I blinked after him in confusion. Well, that was...interesting. And he was already using 'chan'. Few people had called me Sakura-chan, and Jun was one of them. How similar this blond-haired boy was in personality...fingering my pendant, a small smile slipped onto my face.

xXx

Hatake-san finally showed up. An hour late. Eying my clothes, he patted my head. "Let's go do a bit of shopping."

"I have no money." Maybe he was gonna take me to the job first, and then take me shopping? Instead, he chuckled, and pulled out a small orange book, and began to read.

"Maa, I'll treat you, just for today. But you might want to leave your scythe behind. It will probably be easier, Sakura-chan." The second person that had added 'chan' to my name today. This was rare. Ignoring his advice, I brought my scythe along anyway. No way was I walking around an unfamiliar place without it.

xXx

We finally got home, both of us carrying a bunch of bags, and I dumped them in my bedroom. Thanking him, I gave him a small bow, and he surprised me by chuckling and patting my head again. He seemed to like doing that. "Well, I can take you to a restaurant if you'd like for dinner, unless you can make something by yourself?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "No, someone else is taking me to dinner tonight, so that won't be necessary, Hatake-san. Thanks, though." He frowned.

"Sakura-chan, I told you, stop calling me that, I feel old. And, who is taking you out?" I shrugged lightly.

"A neighbor."

"Ok. Well then, I'll be off for tonight, but I'll stop by tomorrow morning to take you to your job. See ya." With a poof, he disappeared, and I took the time to change into something cleaner, then set about putting everything away. I hadn't finished, when a knock came on my door. Opening it, I smiled ever so slightly.

"Ah, Uzumaki-san, are we going out now?" He pulled a face.

"Call me Naruto! And yup, I'll show you the wonders of ramen. Believe it!" He grinned, and I smiled a bit more. Even though I was going to leav\ve this village one day, it was always nice to have an ally. I didn't want to call him a friend just yet, but maybe, with time...besides, Jashinism was about killing. But there were no rules that said you couldn't have friends while you were at it. Friends...

**And...done! Sorry guys, I meant to update sooner . In case any of you don't know, 'chan', in the Japanese language, is a suffix you add onto the end of someone's name to signify friendship. It is usually only used for girls and young boys. San, is used for older people, and to be more polite. But a huge thanks to my reviews, faves and follows, you guys all made my day! Especially the reviewers, they gave me a goofy smile ^^ Hope you all enjoyed it, remember to leave any suggestions, and I'll see if I can add them in! See ya'll soon (Sooner than this update took, at least XD)**


	3. The part-time job

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction site. Do I even need to write this?**

**Warning: Death, murder, sacrifice, sadistic Sakura.**

Sakura POV

I stared at the large steaming bowl before me, before turning to look at the boy on my right. I had barely touched mine so far, yet the blond was already on his second bowl. He wasn't a large thing; where did it all go? Apparently Naruto noticed my staring, as he turned to me, quickly swallowed, then said, "Sakura-chan! Why aren't you eating? You have to hurry before the ramen gets cold!" Blinking, I turned my attention back to the bowl, and began to eat. As I did so, my eyes widened; this was _good!_ Back in the temple, our meals had always been rather bland, packed with nutrients, but lacking somewhat in the taste department. This ramen however, was packed full of flavour, and I found myself finishing the bowl quickly before asking for another. Naruto grinned at me, before starting on his...fifth bowl. Wow. The boy was a machine.

xXx

After I finally finished my second bowl, Naruto his seventh, I sighed in contentment, before immediately tensing. I hadn't bothered to check before, but I was definitely being watched by an anbu somewhere...suddenly trying to feel for any unusual chakra, I twisted in my seat. There was the faintest flicker of something, but it immediately disappeared. I needed to stay more on guard. It had been too easy to relax around Naruto. It was nice, though. However, now I was faced with another problem. Biting my lip, I turned to Naruto. What...now? Did I just get up and walk home? Was I meant to walk him home, or vice versa? We lived next to each other, so I guess we would walk home together anyway? I'd never done this before...he noticed me looking once again, and slapped some money on the counter. "Thanks old man!" He grinned at the ramen chef, and the older man smiled back.

"Anytime, Naruto-kun! Feel free to bring your friend along with you again too!" I paused at those words. _Friend_...Smiling slightly, I bowed politely to the man, earning a soft chuckle, and turned to Naruto, as we began the walk home. It was a nice night. Warm bright. Yet...a villager 'accidentally' shoved Naruto, sending him staggering a bit. I quickly steadied him, glaring at the villager. I'd noticed it on the way to the ramen stand also but...what was this? Everyone was being hostile to the boy, and he simply continued on, seemingly oblivious to it all. Why? I made to move to the person who had shoved Naruto, but stopped at the hand on my arm.

"Come on Sakura-chan. Let's just go home." I stared at him for a second. He was smiling softly at me, but there was something about his manner that seemed...resigned to the behavior. Like he was used to it. Nodding shortly, albeit reluctantly, I let him pull me along.

"Ok, Uzu-ah...Naruto..." He smiled wider at this, and we made our way home.

xXx

My alarm clock woke me with a start, and I lay in bed for a second, before getting up to turn it off. I immediately knelt down to pray to Jashin-sama, holding my pendant clasped in my hands. Finishing, I stood up and went to the bathroom. Showering, getting dressed and grabbing some breakfast, I heard a knock on the door. Curiously, I went to it. Was it Naruto? No, the chakra signature was...opening the door, I nodded. "Good morning, Hatake-san."

"Yo! Remember: don't call me that, Sakura-chan. It's too formal. Oh, and have a nice night last night?" His voice lowered suggestively at the last part, and I frowned in confusion. He seemed to be...teasing me? Searching for any hidden meanings about his question, I nodded shortly, and he chuckled, patting my head. "Maa, so innocent." A small blush coated my cheeks. He was being so familiar, so kind...it was odd, but nice, I supposed, compared to the reserved coldness of the monks in the temple. Not that I liked it or anything.

Looking up at the man, I smiled slightly, and asked, "Why are you here?" He looked at me for a second.

"Don't you wish to begin your first day at your part-time job?"

xXx

I stood beside him, in the dimly lit halls of the T&amp;I department. Hatake was currently giving me a tour of the place, or at least, the parts of the place I was allowed to be, and though I nodded along, I was impatient to begin sacrifices. Would I even be allowed to sacrifice on the first day? Finally, he chuckled, before leading me into a room with another man. Tall, with a covered head and hard eyes, the man looked tough, and I eyed him warily. "Sakura-chan, this is Ibiki Morino, commanding officer of the T&amp;I department. He'll be assisting you with a lot of the...work." I politely bowed. Assisting. Yeah right, he was probably there to keep an eye on me.

"Hello, Morino-san. My name is Sakura." He raised an eyebrow, and turned to Hatake.

"Is this little brat really the girl? She looks way too delicate to handle Jashinism." Though remaining outwardly calm, I inwardly bristled. Who the _hell_ was he to say that? Remembering where I was, I quickly sucked in a deep breath to calm myself.

"Well, why don't you put this 'little brat' to the test?" It came out more challenging than I'd meant it to, but could you blame me? He had insulted me based on appearance, even though I had been chosen by Jashin-sama, a rarity. He smirked coldly.

"Oh? So you won't mind helping me dispose of some trash that is no longer needed." I merely looked at the man.

"That would be perfect."

xXx

Staring at the three bound men before me, I grinned, before pulling my scythe off of my back. Moving to the first one, I looked at him in the eyes. Apparently they had been low class missing nin, and all of the useful information had been extracted from them, granted it wasn't a lot. So, now they were to be disposed of. It would have been easier for Morino to simply do it himself, but I supposed I was being tested. The missing nin glared back at me weakly, but I could see it in his eyes; he was already broken by this place. Smiling slightly in excitement, I began my prayer.  
"Beloved but anguished God of our faith  
I pray to you who did choose me  
Let me be filled by your power and knowledge  
So that I may provide the destruction you so deserve  
And leave a path of death and torment in my wake  
Let me abuse your power once again  
Even as I sacrifice to you dearly  
In the evil God's name, Jashin, amen!"

Feeling the dark rush of power flow through me, I channeled my chakra to my pendant. "Curse technique: Forsaken Pendant." Spinning my scythe, I brought it down in a controlled manner, to skim the man's face, right down his left cheek. His eyes widened, but I merely smiled at him, on a high as I touched my pendant to his blood. As the blood was absorbed, I noticed my own body changing colour to resemble a skeleton. Then, I stepped back, and swung my scythe again. His eyes widened for a second time, but instead of it piercing him, the dark red blade went right through my thigh. As the pleasure seeped through my body from the wound, I laughed at the ecstasy flowing through me, even as the man in front of me groaned, trying not to make sound. I raised my pink eyebrows. Oohh, were we playing a game? I'd try to make him scream, and in turn, he would try not to. I wasn't thinking like I normally would, thanks to the high, but it was ok; I was being looked after by Jashin-sama, after all. Spinning my scythe again, this time, it went through my midsection. It had pierced my stomach. I could tell, as we had studied some anatomy in the temple, as part of our training. Plus, I could, you know, _feel _it. More pleasure rolled through my body, and the man began to pant, cut off screams mixed in with his breaths, before I took the blade, and slowly, slowly, ever so slowly began to tilt it and drag it upward through my body, piercing my lung. Now, he screamed. Long, shrill, and desperate. Baka, I win the game. Too easy. I yanked on my scythe viciously, and it came out of my body with a wet crunch. My blood spilled all over the floor, but all I could feel was pleasure. These wounds should have killed me, but I was a Jashinist. And so, watching the man, I lifted my pendant to my mouth, and licked it. The salty, metallic taste of blood filled my mouth even as red blossomed across the man, and his screams turned into wet, choking gargles, then finally no more. Grinning, I turned to the other two men, lying bound, who had witnessed the whole thing. They stared back at me, terrified.

Kakashi POV

I watched the whole sacrifice. Me and Ibiki were not in the same room as Sakura, rather, behind a large window that allowed us to see her, yet she couldn't see through that window to us. Her prayer had me raising my eyebrows, and her abrupt change in demeanor. Sakura, or at least the Sakura I had seen, was reserved, and at the same time almost cheeky, yet still retained a trace of childish innocence, at least, she didn't understand my joke about her having a good night earlier, meaning she was innocent in that aspect. Yet this girl, who looked like a skeleton, and was laughing as she stabbed herself...it was someone else completely. She seemed to revel in the fact that she was doing this. Did she not see how wrong it was? Pushing the thoughts aside, I continued to watch her, as she dragged her own scythe up her body. My eyes widened. She should be...dead! Is this really what she was brought up to do? Was she really...immortal? Not looking away for fear of missing something, I watched in sick fascination as she licked her necklace and the man suddenly got the same wounds as her. After his death, she had turned to the other two, who were horrified. I couldn't blame them. This little girl had transformed from a sweet looking thing, to a skeleton like maniac with gaping wounds who was coated in her own blood. Wielding her scythe, she truly looked like a nightmare, like a...Shinigami. She finished off the other two men quicker than she had the first, but it was still impossible to miss the joy and...pleasure in her eyes. I had never witnessed Jashinism before, but from what I had seen, this was...sick. Impossible. Yet I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Sakura POV

I looked down at the large rips in my clothes. I would need to be more careful in the future, and figure out a way to avoid shredding my clothes every time I sacrificed someone. Thankfully, I had brought my cloak, and taken it off before the ritual. As I took I step towards the cloak, I staggered, unsteady. My eyes drooped and my breathing was uneven, though the last part may have had more to do with the fact that I had pierced a lung earlier, not that it was a danger to me. That had taken so much out of me, but it would get better with time and practice. Suddenly, a hand was on my shoulder, steadying me, and I looked up to see Hatake, handing me my cloak, his eyes, or rather, _eye _unreadable. Gratefully, I slipped it on. The high from the ritual had faded, as had the black and white markings on my skin, but I was in a very good mood. Once again, that had been...amazing. Just as amazing the time in the temple. "Come, Sakura-chan. We'll go collect your pay then get you home." Smiling at him tiredly, I nodded, ignoring that his voice was hard and he lead me to another room, with a large window, through which I could see the room where I had just been. Morino was in there, and he handed me an envelope.

"So, looks like the little brat can handle this after all." He smiled coldly and I raised an eyebrow, then quickly checked the envelope. Yup, money. My first pay check. Because this job could be a irregular, I would be payed every time I came and did something, rather than on a regular basis. Hatake lead me up and out of the center, then paused and looked at me.

"I'll take you to the hospital now." He seemed quite different to before; harder, colder, more calculating, and I frowned, shaking my head tiredly. Pushing my cloak out of the way, I showed him where I had pierced myself. The bleeding had already stopped, and I knew it would be healed soon.

"I don't need to go. I'll heal soon." He sighed, before roughly picking me up and leaping over rooftops. I protested weakly, embarrassed, but we were at my apartment pretty soon. My wounds ached with every jolt; now that the ritual was finished, there was no longer the accompanying pleasure. However, it was nowhere near as painful as it should have been, and I bore it. He opened the door and took me inside.

"Do you need help?" His voice was uncaring. I shook my head, and stumbled over to my bathroom. Running the bath, I returned to Hatake. Why was he being colder now? Had he not liked the ritual? What was wrong with it? I was just doing my job. He knew that. Well, if he was going to be like that, then I would be cold back. I was confused though; his earlier friendliness had actually been a bit...welcome.

"I'll be fine. Go away." Stubbornly, I looked at the floor, not wanting to look at this man. He sighed again, then knelt down and looked me in the eyes.

"Maa, Sakura-chan, don't be like that. I've never seen anything like that, so it...surprised me." His voice was softer, and I looked him in the eyes, guard still up.

"I'll be fine." I repeated, not trusting him. Baka, don't open yourself to others. Don't let the kindness of other people fool you. He stared at me for a moment longer, before nodding in resignation and poofing away. Turning, I went to wash myself in the shower, before slipping into the hot bath, relaxing, alone.

**And I'm done. I know, another long wait for the update, even though I said there wouldn't be. I'm sorry! I hate me, you hate me, we all hate me! TT^TT But I recently got my own laptop, yay! Meaning updates are now going to be quicker, faster, and easier ^.^ Thank you so much to my reviewers, faves and followers, I love you all! 3 Until next time~**


	4. Ninja Academy

**Disclaimer: Nah, still don't own Naruto...**

**Warnings: A skewed point of view? Haha, nothing much in this chapter.**

Sakura POV

Nervously, I waited outside the doors of the classroom, listening for the teacher-Iruka-sensei- to give me the cue to enter. It was my first day at the academy, and because I had come part way through the year, I needed to introduce myself to the class. I'd never been in a place with so many people my age, and I wondered if there was anyone there who would befriend me. Would it even be _worth _making friends? Probably not; they would probably understand nothing about myself or Jashinism, just like Hatake...Playing with my pendant absentmindedly, I jolted up a bit as I heard the call to enter, and slid the door of the class open, immediately scanned the classroom, taking in its layout and the people in it. It was large, and full of kids. As I was looking, however, a familiar blond met my eyes and he grinned excitedly, jumping up. "Sakura-chan? _You're _the new student?" Not wishing to shout across the classroom, I simply smiled at the boy and nodded. _Naruto _was in my class? He was training to be a ninja? It made me happy; maybe we could even train together and stuff. It would be a useful relationship. This was...actually, it was great! Walking to the class to stand by Iruka-sensei, I sucked in a breath.

"Good morning. My name is Sakura. I just recently moved to Konoha, so I hope we can all get along. It's a pleasure to meet you all." With a small bow, I flashed a small smile, then walked over to sit in the unoccupied seat on Naruto's left. Luckily, the blond was sitting at the back of class, so I wouldn't have to worry about people staring behind me. Naruto grinned at me, and I smiled back. His hair was a mess, as when I had first met him, and I had to hold down a chuckle. He really was similar to Jun...Hearing Iruka-sensei's voice, I turned my attention to him. Would he be like the teachers back in the temple? Was he kind, strict, biased? I hoped he wasn't too bad.

"Ok class, so today, rather than a lesson indoors, we will be practicing taijutsu outside, in the normal place." Standing with Naruto, I followed him outside. Taijutsu. That was a great way to start my first day!

"Neh, Sakura-chan? How's your taijutsu? Do you know how to fight?" I smiled at the bouncing ball of energy, mind flashing back to the grueling days spent in the temple. Everyone in the temple was trained early on to be a ninja, in case they were chosen of Jashin-sama. It was tough; we were trained hard for most of our waking hours that weren't devoted to worshiping Jashin-sama, receiving only small slots of time for bathing, eating, and down time. We also got a day off of training on random occasions, such as if someone was doing a ritual to see if they were one of Jashin-sama's chosen few. However, I didn't know how I would compare to the rest of the class, and was curious to find out. In the temple, my taijustu and ninjutsu had been very good, as had my theory, although my genjutsu was mediocre. It was like this because I had been at the temple since birth, and had been training since I could stand up. Because I was a girl, I had always trained hard as I wanted Jashin-sama to allow me to become a priestess. It had paid off, but I still had a lot of work to do. I needed to get a lot stronger, so hopefully they could teach me a lot at the academy. I knew as soon as I became a ninja, I would have a lot more opportunity to grow stronger, however, with real lie experience, missions, and more personalized training.

"I'm alright. I don't know where I am by the academy's standards, but I guess we'll find out soon enough." We reached the sparring area and the gaggle of children spread out to form a circle, and I frowned. It was a bit small. I would have to restrict my movements.

"Ok, Hiromu-kun and Shino-kun, you two are up first." I watched as a tan boy with sandy hair stepped cockily into the ring, smirking, followed by a boy wearing a large jacket that covered half of his face, and dark glasses. He seemed a lot more controlled, walking with an air of reservation, and I watched him curiously. Already, I was putting my money on the boy wearing the big jacket, but I stopped. I shouldn't judge so fast.

Iruka-sensei once gain briefly went over the rules, before stepping back and yelling, "Hajime!" Immediately, the sandy-haired boy lunged forward, attempting to land a punch. There was a good amount of power to it, but his form wasn't the best, and it was reckless how he opened himself up to retaliation. I watched closely, trying to gauge the level of students here, and also their style, when the other boy merely ducked under the arm, lifting his leg to kick at the first boy's stomach, before the tan boy's eyes widened and he twisted, managing to deflect some of the blow. He didn't, however, completely miss the kick, and he jumped back, cussing loudly. I raised my eyebrows; he was too thoughtless. However, the pale boy wearing glasses was already on the reckless one, driving him back with a series of controlled taijutsu. It was slow, and seemed to be lacking somewhat in strength, but his technique was good, and the tanned boy couldn't effectively retaliate. Soon, the spar was over, with the winner being announced as Shino Aburame. I stored the name away for later reference. He didn't seem too bad, might be a good person to be acquainted with. A few more pairs were called up, and I continued to pay close attention to the fights. Blinking as I later heard my name, I glanced at the teacher then at Naruto, who grinned at me encouragingly and gave me a big thumbs up, blue eyes shining.

"Whoo! Go Sakura-chan, kick butt!" Smiling back, I stepped forward and brushed my pink hair out of my face, eyes zoning in on the girl I was to fight. Iruka-sensei had called her Ino. Quickly, I assessed her. She was quite pretty, however, her hair was a little _too _cute, clothes _too _impeccable, and I immediately knew she was someone who spent too much time on their appearance. She was probably just entering the stage where boys were suddenly the focus of her life, meaning she would spend less time on training. However, she did move with a purposefulness, so she must have been at least decent. Walking to stand across from her on the dusty ground, I eyed her, and as Iruka-sensei gave the go ahead for the match to begin, I smiled.

"For you, Jashin-sama." I said quietly enough, that I'm sure only Ino-san heard me, as her blond brows wrinkled in confusion. I wasn't performing a ritual, so I wasn't going to offer up a full prayer, especially because this was only a spar, however, I was still fighting, and I drew my strength from Jashin-sama. The sun beat own on us cruelly, and I could feel the heat stick to my lungs as I breathed in. It was hotter than I was used to. Watching as Ino-san's eyelid flickered- a sign she was going to attack, I dropped into a crouch easily as she sent a roundhouse kick straight over my head. From what I had gathered, the taijutsu style taught at the academy for females didn't rely on a lot of strength, rather agility and flexibility. It also wasn't very lethal, especially when compared to the ruthless taijutsu we learnt back in the temple, where we were taught to always go for the kill, or places we knew would hurt and cripple. Kicking hard at her knee, she cried out and stumbled, and I took the chance to step in close and bring my fist up in an uppercut. She jerked backwards, but still got clipped by my fist, and jumped back, attempting to retreat. However, I followed her closely, and narrowed my eyes as she feinted with a left jab then came in to attempt to hook me. I slid to the side, grabbed her arm, and pulled harshly, using her own momentum to swing her in a wide arc, where she crashed heavily on the ground. Instinctively, before she could recover, I went in for the kill, my fist closed and aimed at her exposed neck, intending to crush her windpipe. It was how we were taught to fight in the temple, and it didn't occur to me that anything was wrong with this until I felt myself locked up, strong arms immobilizing me. Eyes widening in shock, I tensed and glanced at my captor, to see an anbu, Tori, who had been monitoring me. Glaring at him for a second, as he blocked my victory, which surely Iruka-sensei would have been pleasantly surprised about, considering I was new, I slowly unclenched my fist and relaxed, even as Ino-san spluttered and gasped on the ground, still unable to properly breathe. My fist had been an inch away from her throat. Lucky girl. When she finally managed to shakily stand, I noticed her nursing her right arm, and shrugged. She should have fought harder. She was still pretty, but her hair was now messier, her clothes rumpled and a bit dirty, and I thought briefly she looked better like that; she didn't seem as vain, and looked like she actually worked. She seemed more like a ninja. Mind you, maybe it was just me, who didn't particularly like the 'girly-girl' look. However, the rest of the class didn't seem to agree with me, as I heard their whispers closing in on me.

"What _was_ that? So Scary!"

"She tried to kill Ino-chan! Poor Ino-chan..."

"Why is she in our class? Her taijutsu is way better than ours!"

"Damn, she was ruthless! Remind me not to mess with her."

Blinking, I frowned, as Tori disappeared and Iruka-sensei cleared his throat. "Sakura-chan. A word, please." Pushing down my unease _-what had I done wrong?- _I followed him, schooling my face into a black expression. We walked a ways away from the other students, before he turned to me, face hard. _Just like someone else I know. _Looking up at him, I blinked.

"Yes, sensei?"

"Sakura-chan...what was that?"

My pink brows wrinkled in confusion, and I pondered what he could mean.

"Sparring, sensei."

He sighed, shaking his head. Apparently that wasn't the answer he was looking for. "No, Sakura-chan, you were going for the kill there. You were fighting viciously, like you were trying to...harm Ino-chan."

Once again, I was confused. This was what you were meant to do, wasn't it? Fight hard so you could improve, and if you got hurt, then it was your own fault for not trying hard enough. "I was...that's how you spar, isn't it? I've always been taught to go for the kill. It's what will keep me alive in the real world."

Iruka-sensei regarded me for a moment longer, before sighing and shaking his head. "Sakura-chan...I know you're a...Jashinist...but in Konoha, at the ninja academy, you don't try to hurt your classmates. You need to forge bonds with them, so that you can rely on them when you need to, and vice versa."

Now, I was even more confused than before. What was he talking about? That was stupid! "How can I rely on anyone else other than myself and Jashin-sama? Everyone else will let you down. And, if what you say is true, then what is even the point of sparring?" I shook my head, and the dark-skinned man blinked.

"Sakura-chan. Konoha is different to where you're from. You need to learn to accept this, and live by it. Here, our friends are important. Our teammates...they are the ones who have our backs, and save us when we need them. We can't just go around trying to...kill them, in simple spars. It's not like that." He reached down to pat me on the head, and my eyes widened, before I immediately jerked my head back. That was too similar to what...Hatake did, and I reminded myself not to let anyone close. They _would _let me down, no matter what lies Iruka-sensei spouted. I nodded shortly, and he sighed again, then turned. "Let's get back to the class. But remember that, Sakura-chan; don't try to hurt anyone like that, or you will find yourself in serious trouble."

"Hai." I replied blankly, plastering my mask back one again. But, despite what I kept telling myself, about not trusting anyone, a certain person flitted on my thoughts, telling me I already was letting someone in, even if I didn't mean to. His hair was the same colour as the sun that beat down on me...

**Done! Told you guys I wouldn't make you all wait a million years for the next chapter! Thank you so much again to my reviewers, faves and followers! 3 I love you guys! Especially thank you to Suzululu4moe and Nuke Tremor, people who were reading this story before, and are still reading even after my large gap of inactivity! But also my new reviewers 3 **

**Suzululu4moe: Brought up some good points, that I would like to answer, as it is likely others will have the same questions ^.^ Firstly, When Sakura performs a ritual, the blood does _not _have to be fresh to work. (Spoiler here!) If anyone can remember in Shippuden, in the Hidan/Kakuzu arc, they used some of Kakuzu's blood they had saved to trick Hidan into performing a ritual that harmed Kaukzu. Also, it does work if someone else gives er the blood, as long as it gets absorbed into her pendant. However, it will have to be a relative amount of blood, one or two drops won't cut it.**

**Also, I saw other authors doing this, and decided to try it. I'll ask a question, and you guys answer in a review, then I'll answer the question in my next chapter ^.^**

**Question: What sort of music do you listen to?**


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